IN SHORT: Nigeria’s minister of arts, culture and creative economy, Hannatu Musawa, has made headlines over her controversial NYSC status. But a viral video showing a woman dancing and vaping at a party is not related to her.
Nigeria’s president Bola Tinubu appointed Hannatu Musawa as minister of arts, culture and creative economy in August 2023.
Her appointment has sparked controversy over her National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) status and her eligibility to serve in the president's cabinet
However, a video has been posted on Facebook in Nigeria that appears to show a woman vaping and dancing at a party. The video is accompanied by the claim that the woman is Musawa.
Its caption reads: “This lady is currently Tinubu's New Minister of Art, Culture and Creative Economy, You can see Hannatu Musawa celebrating her appointment at an event somewhere in Nigeria. This is Nigeria of some people’s dream.”
But is Musawa the woman seen partying in the video? We checked.
Video not showing the minister
The video has watermarks from TikTok and Dior events on it. We looked up Dior events on TikTok and found the original and longer video. It was posted by Dior events on 15 August.
The woman in the video dances and sings to Fuji music, a genre of music synonymous with the Yoruba tribe in Nigeria and only understood by Yoruba speakers.
But Musawa is from the Fulani tribe in Katsina state, in northern Nigeria, and Yoruba is not commonly spoken by northerners.
We checked Musawa's photo on different occasions and compared it with the woman in the video – they are not the same person. There’s a noticeable difference in their complexion, facial features and their style of dress.
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